Afghanistan has made significant changes to their playing XI for the third ODI against South Africa, scheduled to take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The team, having already secured the series with a 2-0 lead, opted to rest star spinner Rashid Khan, who has been battling a hamstring niggle.
Despite his impressive five-wicket haul in the previous match, Afghanistan’s decision to exclude him reflects their cautious approach as they look to maintain player fitness ahead of future competitions.
Changes in Afghanistan’s Squad
With Rashid Khan sidelined, Afghanistan has brought in Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar to lead the spin attack. Additionally, they have included 19-year-old Naveed Zadran, marking his second ODI appearance, as an extra seamer. The team also made two further adjustments: Fareed Ahmed replaces left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, and opening batter Riaz Hassan made way for Abdul Malik, who will be making his ODI debut.
Afghanistan’s choice to bat first puts South Africa at a disadvantage, facing challenging weather conditions with afternoon temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius, feeling like 46 degrees due to humidity.
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South Africa’s Lineup Adjustments
In response to their previous defeats, South Africa has made one change to their squad. They replaced left-arm seamer Nandre Burger with all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo. The batting lineup remains unchanged despite struggling against Afghanistan in the earlier matches. Notably, neither Ottneil Baartman, known for his death bowling skills, nor seamer Lizaad Williams have participated in this series so far.
Afghanistan’s dominance has been evident throughout the series. In the second ODI, they achieved a remarkable victory by 177 runs, with standout performances from players like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored a century, and Rashid Khan, who took five wickets. The team’s ability to bowl out South Africa for just 134 runs showcased their strength and depth in both batting and bowling departments.
Afghanistan Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Fareed Ahmad, Naveed Zadran
South Africa Playing XI: Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqaba Peter, Lungi Ngidi
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